


I'm Starting With The Man In The Mirror

by orphan_account



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Needs Help, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Deserves Better, Adrien dies but the other universe Adrien is okay, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Gaslighting, Grief/Mourning, Guilt, Major Character death but only a little bit, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Finds Out First, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Oblivious Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir and Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, This is a heavier fic than usual my guys, Trauma, Unreliable Narrator, dark ladybug meets canon adrien
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 07:13:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26847976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Marinette and Adrien are in love; Chat Noir and Ladybug are enemies. That’s how it had always been, right up until the day she faced Hawkmoth the final time. The day that Adrien died.Months later, Ladybug suddenly finds herself fighting an akuma again - she’s been summoned into a world where Hawkmoth is still at large, and Ladybug and Chat Noir are partners. Overjoyed to see the boy she loves again, she immediately falls into his arms.But she can’t trust him, not really. He could still betray her, like her Chat Noir did. She has to keep him on a tight leash.And the other Marinette is stuck watching as an alternate version of her proceeds to sweep the boy of their dreams off his feet, and then slowly take control of his life - an easy task, when Adrien trusts Ladybug so completely.Updates when it updates
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 46
Kudos: 54





	1. Prequel: The Final Battle

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Missnoodles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missnoodles/gifts).



> Based on a prompt from Noodles (shoot idk what your ao3 is comment below and I'll gift this to u) [ on the miraculous fanworks ](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks) discord server.
> 
> (Also I meant to save this to drafts, so I'd remember to write it I didn't intent to post yikes it is what it is bois asdsfsfafda)
> 
> I feel bad for tricking you into clicking on this so here's a frantically written chapter one/ intro before the main story which I Will not accidentally post drafts of my bad seriously

When Chat Noir fell down, Ladybug almost didn't notice.

Almost, because she never cared for him. He was her enemy. 

She only noticed, because it made her fight with Hawkmoth easier. It was a one-on-one battle, instead of a one-on-two. 

She paid very little attention to him, assuming he was faking his injury. Sure, he was lying on the floor of the deck of the Eiffel Tower, gasping for breath, looking weak and pathetic,but his own ally, Hawkmoth didn't spare him more than a glance. 

So it couldn't be that bad.

Ladybug watched him in her peripheral vision, just enough to make sure that he didn't get up and attack her from the behind. It wouldn't be the first time he had faked an injury to gain the upper hand.

She didn't feel guilty. It was entirely Chat's fault. 

He was the one who activated the Cataclysm. He knew the consequences. Ladybug had only done what she needed to to survive. She redirected the destructive energy back at him. 

Uno-reverse card.

Hawkmoth continued fighting, as desperate as ever, but something was different. Even if he wasn't going to admit it, he was effected by Chat Noir's downfall. His moves weren't as focused or calculated. He was slipping.

And Ladybug took advantage. 

His akuma was gone, his power running out, and his annoying sidekick was badly injured. Hawkmoth had nowhere to go.

Ladybug had only one thing left to do.

Marinette had several things to do, but they weren't her priority. Her job, as a fashion designer, could wait. The dinner she was supposed to be having with her parents and boyfriend, could wait. Adrien got along with her parents just fine. She could blame her tardiness on traffic.

Taking down Hawkmoth couldn't wait. 

She trapped him in her yo-yo, wrapping it so that he could not move. Ladybug dragged Hawkmoth to the ground, where police vehicles had encircled the tower. 

As the entirety of Paris watched from their televisions, the entire world, Ladybug removed Hawkmoth's miraculous, to reveal the face of her enemy.

Gabriel Agreste.

Marinette knew that relationships with In-Laws were supposed to be awkward but this was a whole new level of crazy. She never really liked Adrien's father as a person, but she respected him as a designer. It created a weird sort of emotional whiplash in her brain.

She was glad that the fight was over, finally done, but she couldn't imagine what Adrien was feeling. 

To find out that one's parent was actually a supervillian, that would be devastating. Adrien was the sweetest guy she knew, he would be absolutely heartbroken when he found out.

As soon as Ladybug dealt with Chat Noir, she was going to rush home and comfort Adrien. It couldn't be easy to be him right now. 

As the police cuffed Gabriel and escorted him to a vehicle, Ladybug used her yo-yo to get back to Chat Noir.

It was time to assess the damage. 

She approached slowly, waiting for him to jump up, and strike back. It would be just like Chat Noir to slip away into the darkness, and attack her at some later point in time.

That didn't happen.

He wasn't even moving. 

His labored breathing, which had been heavy and desperate was shallow and quiet. It was just wrong.

Ladybug's lungs hurt just listening to it. 

She had massively misjudged the extent of his injury. Chat Noir needed serious medical attention. Even if he wanted to fight her, he was in no condition to do so. She was going to remove his ring and immediately escort him to a hospital. A hospital with police lining the building, but a hospital nonetheless. 

She didn't have to.

She didn't get the chance.

As Ladybug reached for his ring, Chat Noir took one large breath. He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs, before exhaling, a final sort of gasp.

And then there was nothing.

Silence.

His breathing had stopped. Ladybug tried to find a pulse, but she couldn't. 

His transformation flickered away, revealing a blonde boy.

He really was just a boy. He couldn't have been much older than her, with his young face and perfect skin.

Something about him was familiar, but Ladybug couldn't quite put her finger on it. The blonde hair made her think of... someone. The green eyes reminded her of... a certain individual.

Even his _Gabriel_ brand clothing screamed out to her, but she couldn't explain why. 

There was a disconnect, between her eyes and her brain. 

She didn't comprehend the sight in front of her, because it was too much to handle. It was impossible.

She didn't want to believe the truth, but she could only deny it for so long.

The puzzle pieces snapped together in her brain, and she immediately wished that it wasn't true. She closed her eyes, and opened them, hoping that it had all been a bad dream. Because it couldn't be real.

Lying in front of her, was Chat Noir. Chat Noir, who was gone. Dead.

Chat Noir who was Adrien Agreste.

Her boyfriend.

Or, well, ex-boyfriend now. 

And she had thought finding out that Gabriel Agreste was Hawkmoth gave her emotional whiplash.

Ladybug recognized Adrien, and all she felt was numb. Empty. Hollow.

The love of her life, was also her worst enemy. And now, he was gone.

It was all her fault.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, I didn't think I'd add another chapter so soon. Either, sometimes these things just happen you know?
> 
> At least this time, I definitely meant to post this chapter.
> 
> Things start to pick up right at the end of the chapter, even thought it's sad to start.

After giving Adrien's body to the police, as "evidence," Ladybug went home, and didn't do very much for the next few days.

Her entire world had shattered. When Adrien died, a part of her did too.

Weeks blended together, muted and meaningless. 

Without Adrien, the world seemed grey. He had been the light of her life, always able to find some humor, even when times were tough.

They had talked about getting engaged, getting an apartment, living together. 

But they lost that chance when he died.

It hurt too much to think about.

After everything, Marinette went straight home, ran to her bedroom and cried. Her parents hadn't even tried to make her eat dinner.

They had seen the news.

They had tearfully watched the television, as Ladybug brought Chat Noir's body down from the Eiffel Tower. 

And even though they didn't know that she was Ladybug, they knew that she was hurting. She lost her boyfriend, of course she was hurting.

They didn't understand the guilt and shame that had built up inside of her. They didn't understand that she was the one at fault, that she caused his death.

All they knew was that he died, and she was hurting.

They had no idea how to even begin to comfort her. 

The boy that they had thought of as practically their son, turned out to be a criminal. They thought they knew Adrien, the sweet kid who loved videogames and croissants, but he was actually a dangerous individual capable of mass destruction.

It was a miracle that he had never hurt Marinette.

Like Marinette, Sabine and Tom wished they had answers. If they only knew why Adrien would do something so evil, so out of character, maybe things could start to make sense again.

But he was gone.

And Gabriel Agreste wasn't talking. 

He had been tried, and convicted of several crimes, but he wouldn't disclose his reasons. He remained silent.

And Ladybug had gone off the grid.

She testified at court, not that it was needed. Everyone in Paris had seen the broadcast. It was the last time Ladybug was seen in public for weeks.

Marinette just sat in her room and cried.

For the first week, she was constantly crying. Every time that she managed to distract herself, she would close her eyes and see Chat Noir, gasping for air, transforming into Adrien.

Even though she had barely paid attention, the scene haunted her.

When she fell asleep, it was even worse. Countless "what-if" scenarios plagued her. She imagined a world in which Chat Noir was alive, only to die again. She watched him die, over and over, and it was always her fault.

Always her fault.

And the worst part was, she couldn't talk to anyone about it. She couldn't reveal her identity as Ladybug to anyone, not even a therapist. 

Marinette just sat at home, and tried to keep her emotions under control.

After a week, she decided to go back to school. She was mourning, bit she had to keep learning.

She walked into the classroom, where everyone was silent. All eyes were on her. 

Without saying anything, Marinette Sat next to Alya. It almost seemed like old times, until she glanced at the empty seat in front of her.

It was supposed to have a distracting head of blonde hair, her dashing young boyfriend, but it didn't. He wasn't at school, and he never would be again.

With that realization, Marinette burst into tears.

Alya walked her to the front office, where her parents came to pick her up.

They tried their best to be supportive but they just didn't understand. No one did. 

Even though Hawkmoth had been defeated, there was not a guaranteed safety for the citizens of Paris.

Ladybug did nightly patrols, because she wanted to keep an eye out for criminals.

Marinette did nightly patrols, because the alternative was too painful. Sleeping only brought guilt. Guilt and dreams of him. 

She couldn't cope, so she tried her best to move on.

Ladybug was busy, doing nothing. 

Marinette was just trying her best to keep it together.

One late night, something happened. 

As Ladybug was patrolling the streets of Paris, a giant portal opened up, a monster jumping through.

Akuma.

Hawkmoth was gone, the butterfly miraculous was in safe hands, but deep in her gut, Ladybug knew it was an akuma. It couldn't be anything else.

She saw a copy of herself dive after the akuma. Same yo-yo and everything. The only difference was her hair-

Ladybug didn't have time to think, as she saw another person jump through the portal.

Clad in skin tight leather was unmistakably her ex-boyfriend. Adrien Agreste, aka Chat Noir.

And he was running right for the other Ladybug. 

Ladybug pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. She started hyperventilating, as her copy completely took their eyes off Chat Noir. 

What was she doing? She was going to get herself killed.

Ladybug stood frozen, as Chat Noir dove forward and-

She closed her eyes for a moment. She couldn't bear to watch

-and destroyed the alumatized object.

Ladybug let out a sigh of relief. The other Ladybug had managed to save herself and Chat Noir.

No one died. 

Weirdest of all, after they defeated the akuma, the other Ladybug and Chat Noir fist bumped. They didn't look like enemies. They looked like friends. 

Like partners.

Ladybug's heart broke all over again, as she watched a future she could never have.

The other Ladybug had turned Chat Noir to the good side, and they were working against Hawkmoth. 

Most importantly, there was and universe where Adrien didn't die.

A universe where she hadn't killed Adrien. 

It seemed like a sign. 

A second chance.

A do-over.

Against her better judgement, Ladybug threw herself through the portal, after Chat Noir and the other Ladybug. 

They didn't even notice her, as magical little ladybugs flew around, fixing all the damage. They returned everything to normal, other than one key exception.

The Ladybugs didn't bring Ladybug back to her home, which meant that she was doing the right thing. The magic of the miraculous agreed that she belonged.

Going to this universe was not a mistake.

It was a world before everything had gone wrong. A world full of color and hope. 

A world where she and Chat Noir were not enemies.

A world where her boyfriend was still alive. 

And she was going to take full advantage of it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At some point I Will have Ladybug and other Ladybugs (this one is closer to canon mari) fight and that will be an interesting scene to write but I am nowhere near there yet.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still in the process of trying to figure out how to distinguin dark Ladybug and other ladybug while writing

It was at this point that Ladybug realized she didn't have much in terms of a plan. The portal that would have led back to her universe closed when the miraculous cure was thrown.

Other than the total change in saturation, this universe seemed to mostly be the same as her own. The Eiffel Tower was in the same location, as was school and the bakery.

This universe was just brighter. The sky was more blue. The grass was more green. 

The other Ladybug's hair even had a blue tint to it, but that could've been because of hair dye. 

Everything in this Paris was the same, and also different.

So, very different.

Chat Noir was alive. Ladybug was alive.

Hawkmoth had not yet been defeated. 

Ladybug's main goal was to get a second chance with Adrien. She loved him, and this universe was giving her a do-over. She wasn't going to waste it.

Knowing that it was probably a bad idea, Ladybug decided to go to the one person she trusted most (who also happened to be the person who trusted her least), herself.

Her balcony in this universe was nicer. It was bigger, had a better view and just overall seemed more exciting. 

She climbed down into her room, and almost fainted. She took her final step off the ladder, and three things happened at once. 

As she landed, the lights in her room turned on. It looked exactly like her room, except it didn't. The bed was the same. The window was the same. 

The wall plastered with photos of Adrien Agreste was certainly not the same. It was overwhelming. 

Marinette, in her universe, had a few photos of Adrien on her wall, but nothing like this. She had photos of all of her friends, group photos, hanging out. 

There were at least 100 pictures of Adrien Agreste, staring directly at her.

Marinette made eye contact with one such picture and completely froze. She was paralyzed by the sight of him, even if it was just a photo. His eyes were digging into her soul, reminding her of everything she had lost. His gaze held such passion, such intensity-

She wasn't going to start crying over a poster. Her eyes were just watery because.. allergies. Or something. 

She was so distracted by the photos that for a moment, she forgot that she wasn't actually in her room. She was in an alternate version of her room. 

More importantly, she forgot about the alternate version of herself.

Previously mentioned alternate Marinette used this distraction to tackle Ladybug where she stood, admiring photos of Adrien Agreste. 

Ladybug didn't even realize a fight was happening until Marinette had stolen her yo-yo and tied her to a chair. 

"Whoa whoa whoa-" Ladybug tried to hold up her arms, but they were stuck. Alternate Marinette knew how to tie a knot. "I'm not here to hurt you."

Alternate Marinette laughed, holding up a pair of scissors threateningly. "Yeah, sure you aren't. You just happened to follow me back, and sneak into my room, as an akumatized villian pretending to be Ladybug."

Ladybug wasn't scared in the slightest. Those were fabric scissors pointed at her face. Specifically bought for the purpose of cutting fabric. She was most definitely, not fabric. Marinette would never use them on anything else, that would make them dull. "I'm not akumatized. And I'm not pretending."

Alternate laughed. "I'm not dumb. Thats exactly what an akumatized villian would say."

"Believe me-"

"With magic, I can't trust anyone. Not even myself."

"Well, that's too bad." Ladybug raised an eyebrow. "Because I am you."

"You expect me to think you're from the future or something?"

She actually wasn't too far off. They were in parallel timestreams. Their universes were the same, except for a few key details. "Yeah, or something."

"Who sent you?"

"I sent myself." 

"How did you get here?"

"The last akuma-" Ladybug frowned. "I don't know his name. You and Chat jumped in and out of my universe. I just followed."

"You're from the grey zone?" 

"The what?" 

"The grey zone. Its an alternate universe. We think. Chat and I talked about it a bit after the attack. From what I saw, Paris is exactly the same."

"Yeah, mostly."

"So, if you're me, why did you leave your Paris? Don't you have a duty-"

"I defeated Hawkmoth in my Paris." Ladybug took a deep breath, centering herself. "I came to help you in yours."

"Do you know who Hawkmoth is?"

"Maybe, but that's not why I'm here."

"Its not? But you just said-"

"In my universe, when we defeated Hawkmoth, Chat Noir died."

"But- the Ladybug cure?"

"It didn't work. There was nothing I could do."

Alternate Marinette's face fell. "I'm so sorry." 

"It wasn't your fault." Ladybug snapped. "I need a second chance with Chat Noir."

"A second chance?"

"I came here to do one thing. I have to make sure that Chat Noir doesn't die."

"Don't let me get in your way." 

"I wasn't planning on it."

"How do I know that you're telling the truth."

"Because I'm you."

"Prove it."

"My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I'm 18 years old and-"

"Not like that." Marinette crossed her arms. "Detransform, and I'll believe you."

"But-" Ladybug started to say. _But you'll see the bags under my eyes. You'll know I haven't slept in weeks. You'll try to tell me that everything is okay, even when it's not okay. Its not okay. I am not okay._

"I don't believe you."

"Fine." Ladybug frowned. "Just don't ask me if I'm okay."

"Geez, someone's touchy."

"Its been a rough year." Ladybug closed her eyes. "Tikki, Spots off!" The magic receded from her body, and she was left feeling tired. Exhausted.

Alternate Marinette didn't say anything, for a concerning amount of time.

LB opened her eyes. "Is something wrong?" If it was about the eye bags, she would not hesitate to punch herself. She had no idea what she had been through.

Marinette just kept staring. "Well, you look like me."

"Speechless, huh?" LB smirked. "You didn't think I was for real."

"No, I thought you were for sure an akuma." Alternate Marinette started untying LB. After she was done, Alt Mari ran her fingers through LB's hair.

"What?"

"What the hell did you do to our hair?"

LB shook her head. "Oh, do you like it?"

"Do I like it?" Marinette sputtered. "Its just so different. I would never do something like that to my hair."

"Thanks." A ghost of a smile passed over LB's face. "Different is exactly what I was going for when I did it."

"Huh."

"Yeah."

"So, what should I call you?" Marinette asked. 

"I'm Marinette."

"We can't both be Marinette." Marinette frowned. "That would be incredibly confusing."

"Well, I guess I could go by a nickname." 

"Like what? Nettie? Mari?" Marinette shook her head. "Those are too close to Marinette."

"I was thinking something a little bit more- miraculous..... like Buggaboo, or-"

"I am absolutely not calling you Buggaboo."

"Chat Noir did it all the time."

"I'm not Chat Noir." Marinette chuckled. "I was Ladynoire once, but I hate that name. Buggaboo. Gross."

"Its a cute nickname." 

"Its weird."

"Do you have a better suggestion?"

"Duh. If I could name myself, I'd choose something cool, like Lightning Mcqueen. Or Charlemage."

"You can go by Lightning McQueen and I'll go by Marinette."

"This is my universe, I'm keeping my name." Marinette sighed. "You can come up with your own, if you don't like my suggestions."

"Fine." She shrugged. "What about LB."

"LB?" Marinette asked.

"Short for Ladybug, but innocuous enough that it could be anything."

"LB. It fits you."

"Does it?"

"Yeah. Its me, but not. Just like you."

"I don't know whether that was an insult or a complement." LB frowned. She was pretty sure, in fact.

"Oh, a complement. Sorry." Marinette's face went red. "I didn't mean to sound mean."

The other Marinette was nice. LB smiled. "Its fine, no offense taken."

"Do you think you're going to be here for a while, or are you going to like, help us defeat Hawkmoth, protect Chat Noir and go back?"

"Oh, I was definitely planning on staying around for a while." LB smiled, "I think it could be fun."

"Won't people in- where you're from- be worried about what happened to you?"

"Nah." LB shook her head. "They know I need some space. And time. Things have been rough-"

"I can't imagine."

"No. You can't."

Marinette cleared her throat, "Well, if you're going to be here for a while, we should probably give you a cover."

"A cover?"

"You can't just go around telling people that you're me."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm me." 

"I look just like you." LB pointed out. 

"Yeah, other than the hair. Its not like we can switch lives, unless I get you a wig or something."

"My hair is pretty different." LB smiled. "Maybe I could pretend to be your-"

"Cousin!" Marinette smiled. "Wow. We really are the same. We finish eachother's -"

"-Sentences." LB rolled her eyes. "And I was going to say sister. No one looks exactly like their cousins."

"Adrien does. He has a cousin named Felix and their identical."

"Adrien doesn't have a cousin." LB frowned. "Are you sure?"

"He lives in England, so you've just probably never met him."

"Yeah, I guess." LB knew Adrien. They had dated for years. She went to his father's wedding to Nathalie with him. There was no identical cousin Felix there. 

She would've noticed.

"You were saying something?"

"I was?"

"Yeah." Marinette nodded. "Right before I started talking about Adrien and his cousin-"

"Oh, right!" LB snapped. "I was going to say that we could say we're sisters."

"Sisters? I'm an only child."

"Yeah, but we're adopted, so it's possible that-"

Marinette froze. "What?" A single tear formed in the corner of her eye. 

She was certainly more emotional than LB.

"Are you okay? Was it something I said?" LB felt guilty somehow. 

"No, you're fine. I just didn't know." Marinette shook her head. "Are you sure?"

"I was, so its possible?" LB shrugged. "Maybe you should have this conversation with you parents."

"Can you be there with me?"

"I guess." This was getting way out of LB's comfort zone. She didn't really comfort other people. She wasn't the most empathetic. 

Actions speak louder than words.

"So, cover story." Marinette changed the subject. "Obviously we can't tell people that you're me from an alternate dimension."

"Obviously not." 

"So, you're my cousin-"

"I'm your cousin, LB." LB repeated. 

"What else?"

"Does there need to be anything else?"

"Of course." Marinette smiled. "If you know my friends, you know they'll want details."

"I mean Chloe can be pushy, and Sabrina just encourages her, but Kagami understands privacy. And Nino and Adrien are-"

"Chloe? Sabrina?" Marinette laughed. "I meant Alya."

"You're friends with Alya?"

"You aren't?"

LB blinked. "No, not really. We were at first, but things fell apart, with Lila and-"

"Ugh. Lila." Marinette frowned. "If anyone can see through our lies, it'll be her."

"Really? She's a liar. Nothing she says is even remotely believable."

"Takes one to know one, LB." Marinette frowned. "Sorry, u was just teasing, i-"

"Yeah, I got it. I'm LB, your cousin. Now, we gotta give me a tragic backstory."

"Your parents are remodeling the house and you needed a place to stay for a while?" Marinette offered.

"I was thinking we could say that my parents died in a car accident and I needed to stay somewhere, but your idea works too."

"That's a little dark, but sure." Marinette grabbed some pajamas out of her closet, and threw them at LB's face. "Here you go."

"What? Why? I thought we were planning."

"We were," Marinette yawned, "but its late and we have school in the morning."

"School." LB hadn't really thought about going to school. She hadn't thought this through at all.

"Yeah, gotta get a good education." Marinette blinked slowly. "Seriously though, I'm going to fall asleep any second."

"Right." LB changed into the pajamas. "I guess I'll just sleep on the couch then?"

"Sounds good to me." Marinette tossed a pillow at her. "You're turning off the lights."

"Fine." After putting on the pajamas, LB turned off the lights. The switch was in the same place as hers had been. "Goodnight, Marinette."

"Goodnight LB." Marinette yawned again. Loudly. "That kinda sounded like Libby. Thats a name, right?"

"Yeah." 

"I'm gonna call you Libby. That way we don't get confused."

"Alright." LB shook her head and smiled a little bit. 

Libby.

It actually wasn't too bad. 

And sleep was probably a good idea. Libby hadn't slept well in weeks.

When she woke up, she could find Adrien, and figure out how to save him.

And Marinette wasn't going to get in her way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, gaining Marinette's trust was pretty easy.
> 
> Why is this chapter 2x as long as the previous ones ??? 
> 
> Hey so I'm thinking that dark Ladybug is going to go by Libby and LB, so we can tell them apart, but every time I type LB, my brain automatically thinks lb, like pounds, so that's fun.
> 
> I'm thinking Libby is a less empathetic Marinette. She's still creative and helpful to her friends, but she can say no. She knows her limits. 
> 
> Comment below what you think Libby did to her hair. Something drastic enough that Marinette would be shocked.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said i was going to update Sunday's that had now been switched to saturdays because I cannot keep this in my drafts forever. I'm in the middle of writing chapter 10 and you guys haven't even read to the point where Libby meets Adrien.

In the morning, Libby and Marinette got up and ready for school. 

Libby realized she didn't bring any clothes with her, so Marinette lent her some.

"Thank you." 

"You'd do it for me."

"Does this skirt have pockets?" Libby slipped her phone into her pocket.

"I'm a fashion designer. All of my clothes have pockets."

Marinette just became about 30% cooler, in Libby's opinion. Libby was a fashion designer too, but she hadn't made anything new in weeks. Fashion reminded her of Gabriel. Which reminded her of Adrien.

Adrien.

The absolute love of her life. He was torn from her at too young of an age. Just thinking of him was enough to bring her to tears.

Libby managed to keep it together on the walk to school.

She snuck out the front, while Marinette distracted her parents. They didn't even notice Libby walk by. 

Marinette grabbed an extra lunch, and they set off together.

As soon as they stepped foot inside school, Alya approached. 

Libby flinched. The Alya in her world had good intentions, but ultimately chose a liar. Alya wasn't a bad person, but she had said some mean things.

"I can't believe you." Alya grabbed Libby by the shoulders and shook her. "What have you done to your hair?"

Libby closed her eyes, and started to hyperventilate. It was fine. It was going to be fine. Marinette was right next to her. Alya wasn't going to say anything. She wasn't going to get bullied or expelled again.

But there wasn't an Adrien nearby to save her. 

"Stop it." Libby pushed Alya away.

"What did I do-"

"Guys!" Marinette stepped in between Libby and Alya. "Alya, this is my cousin, Libby. My hair is still the same. Libby, this is Alya."

"I am so sorry." Alya held out a hand. "I totally didn't mean to invade your personal space."

Libby looked at Alya, then Marinette, and finally back at Alya. Hesitantly, she shook Alya's hand. "Just don't do it again."

"She's a little touchy." Marinette whisper-shouted.

"So, how long are you in Paris, Libby?"

Libby looked at Marinette, who shrugged. "As long as I need to be."

"What happened?" Alya asked. She kept pushing the issue, as was her nature. That was part of the reason Libby had never been great friends with her Alya. She was too nosey.

"She-"

"I don't like to talk about it." Libby looked away. She didn't want to spend any more time rethinking Adrien's death. It hurt her enough. But she had to say something. Alya probably thought she was insane. Against her better judgement, she went with Marinette's option. "My.. my parents are remodeling the house. I'm staying with Marinette for as long as I need to."

"I'm sorry." Alya shrugged. "Hopefully you'll have fun while you're here. Marinette's great."

"Marinette is great." Libby frowned. "It's none of your business. I don't need the entire class knowing what I've been through."

"What have you been through?" Alya asked.

Libby sighed. She wasn't about to dump all of her trauma on the second biggest gossip in the school. She just shook her head and followed Marinette inside.

"Are you okay?" Marinette gave Libby a hug.

(Adrien used to hug her. Before he was cataclysmed.)

Libby shook her head. "No, probably not. But I have to do this."

They walked to the office, and Mr. Damocles agreed that Libby could attend school with Marinette, temporarily, as long as Marinette's parents were able to enrol Libby in school sometime in the next week. 

Apparently, there was a lot of paperwork involved.

Together they walked into class. 

"Usually I sit next to Marinette," Alya was saying loudly, "but I totally understand if you want to, especially because you don't know any of us yet." 

"I can just sit wherever there's an available seat." Libby said. Really, it would probably be fine. 

"The only available seat is next to Lila," Marinette hissed at her, "in the back."

Useful information. Libby absolutely did not want to sit with Lila. "Oh, really, I-"

Alya laughed. "I don't know what Marinette has told you, but Lila really isn't that bad. Sure she's told a couple tall tales, but she's nice-"

Libby raised an eyebrow. "Is this the same Lila that tried to get me-arinette expelled? That doesn't seem very nice. Why don't you stop interrogating me about my trauma and go investigate Lila."

Alya shut up after that. It was actually quite satisfying.

Marinette sighed. "Libby that was really rude. Alya's my best friend. She's just trying to be nice."

"No," Alya frowned, "she's right. I'll go sit in the back with Lila. You can sit with your cousin."

"Alya, you don't have to do that."

"Sit with Marinette." Libby gestured. "I have bad eyes, so I should sit in the front row anyways." Before Alya could protest, Libby plopped herself in the seat in front of where she was supposed to sit.

Alya hesitantly Sat down behind Libby. "If you're sure."

"I am." Besides, in her universe, this was where Chloe sat, so it wouldn't be bad....

Except, from what Marinette had said, she wasn't friends with Chloe. Maybe it was going to to terribly. Or Libby was overthinking things.

Five minutes later, Chloe and Sabrina walked in and Sat in the seats across from Libby. 

That didn't make sense. That was supposed to be Nino and Kagami's seat. If they Sat there, then who-

"Dude!" Nino walked in and did a double-take. "Your hair!"

Libby brought a hand to her head. "Is it bad?" While she had cut her hair impulsively, she quite liked how it had turned out. She had cut off most of her hair, and with Alix's help, dyed it the colors of the rainbow. It was nothing like Marinette's hair.

Nino regained his composure. "Marinette, what are you doing in my seat?" 

"I-" Libby gestured to her glasses. Apparently, Marionette didn't wear glasses. Lucky. Libby had left all of her contacts behind in her universe.

Marinette waved from behind her. "My cousin."

Nino looked behind her. "Whoa, not-Marinette. That's confusing."

"She's Marinette's cousin." Alya explained. "She's going to be staying with Marinette for a while, and she needs to sit in the front because her eyesight is bad."

Libby decided to take back some of what she had said about Alya. She was nosey, but she could certainly be helpful. If Libby stuck close to Alya, she wouldn't have to explain herself again and again.

The rest of the class walked in, and did a double take when they saw Libby. Marinette and Libby had to explain themselves 12 times.

When Alix walked in, she gave Libby a high-five and nodded. "Sick hair, Mari."

"Thanks, but-" Libby pointed behind her. "I'm Libby. That's Marinette. I'm her cousin."

"You two could totally be twins. Either way, I love the hair." 

"Thanks." Libby smiled, and it wasn't fake, for once. Alix could be really awesome. She didn't say that the Alix from her universe was the one who helped her change her hairstyle. 

Libby pulled out the notebook and pencils she had gotten from Marinette, to take notes, when one final person walked through the door.

Libby's heart stopped beating for a second. Standing there, in all his glory, with waving locks of golden hair, emerald green eyes, and perfect skin was Adrien Agreste.

He was there and he was alive.

And he was there!

And he didn't hate Ladybug.

It was everything Libby could've hoped for and more.

And he walked over and sat next to Libby and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Adrien could probably hear it too.

After he sat down, he smiled at Libby, and she melted. Completely melted. 

"Marinette, I'm loving the new hair. And the earrings." 

She didn't hesitate. 

She didn't have any words to say.

She didn't really even think.

For a moment, it was like it was just the two of them. Libby and Adrien. The earrings of the Ladybug and the ring of the Black Cat. Soulmates, from different universes, destined to be together.

Libby looked into Adrien's eyes, and she knew he felt it too.

The rest of the world faded to a blur. 

Libby didn't hear Alya and Marinette whispering behind her. She didn't see Chloe's glare.

She was unaware that the entire class had their eyes on her.

All Libby could see was Adrien. Adrien Agreste. 

She loved him so much. She missed him so much. She just wanted to hold him tightly and never let him go, but a tiny voice in the back of her brain told her that was a bad idea, and that it would come off as creepy.

She ignored that voice, and wrapped her arms around Adrien. She was aiming for a romantic gesture, but ended up crying into his shoulder.

So much for a good second chance at a first impression.

This really wasn't her Adrien. He didn't know how to hug back, and was stiff, awkwardly patting her on the back. "Shhh. Its okay. Stop crying."

That only made Libby cry harder. It wasn't okay. It would only he okay when she had protected him from all danger.

"If you're worried about the hair," Adrien chuckled, "I think it's a bold choice, but if anyone can pull it off, it's you."

"Its not about the hair." Libby mumbled.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"You remind me of someone I lost. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I'm always here to support my friends." Adrien hugged her tighter. "I remember what it was like when I lost my mom."

Sweet and supportive. Just like her Adrien.

Libby mouthed a silent "sorry" to Marinette, who was absolutely fuming behind her. Her cheeks were a shade of red she had never seen before. 

Alya cleared her throat, causing Libby and Adrien to jump back. "I see you've met Marinette's cousin."

"Cousin?" Adrien looked at Libby's face, and back at Marinette. "Wow, I definitely see the resemblance."

Marinette smiled at them, through gritted teeth. "Yeah, isn't she just amazing?"

Well, Marinette certainly wasn't happy with Libby. Neither was Alya, by the looks of it, but it didn't matter.

The only person Libby needed on her side was Adrien. 

All she wanted was Adrien. All she needed was Adrien.

If she had to distance him from everyone else to do that, then that was a risk she was willing to take.

Libby would do anything to protect Adrien Agreste.

So really, things were going according to her plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am going to try to keep an update schedule, but who knows


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to announce that I do not like the name Libby and this is why I don't create my own characters I suck at names.  
> Libby just sounds like an annoying person name, no offence to anyone named Libby.  
> Like ugh it makes sense, it's LB, it's a great name that's also an allusion to her true identity, like I couldn't just have her go by "Mari" or "Nette." That would be confusing, I had to distinguish her from the Ladybug/Marinette that belonged in the universe.

Libby was going to apologize to Marinette, really. She had planned on it. 

But after first period, Alya was talking to Marinette and Adrien, ever the perfect gentleman, offered to carry her books and Libby couldn't say no.

She ended up going to every class with Adrien, since she wasn't enrolled in her own classes yet, and sitting besides him in every single one. 

Marinette seemed a little more frustrated every time Libby looked at her. Alya just looked disappointed.

Nino honestly didn't seen to care that Libby was sitting with Adrien. He was just cool like that. 

Marinette was not cool. Maybe Libby needed to protect Adrien from Marinette, along with Hawkmoth and himself. Her list was growing. Marinette had an unhealthy dream of Adrien Agreste. She was a obsessive and annoyed that Libby had tried to "steal her man" -Alya's words. 

After hearing that, Adrien turned around and gave a sad, "I'm nobody's man."

That... explained a lot actually. Marinette wasn't dating Adrien. She clearly had a crush on him, based on her awkward blushing and stammering whenever he looked in her general direction, but they weren't together. They were just friends.

(And superhero partners, but it wasn't clear if either of them knew that, so Libby was going to keep that a secret).

And clearly Adrien wanted to be in a relationship. He seemed disappointed, like someone had turned him down before. 

Now was Libby's chance. He was a single Pringle and Libby was more than ready to mingle.

Without even considering Marinette's feelings for a second, Libby winked, and blurted out, "You can be my man."

She did not miss the glares from Chloe and Lila. Seriously. What was their problem? Marinette, she understood, she would be annoyed if an alternate version if herself stole her crush but really he was Libby's boyfriend first, so it was fine.

Thats what Libby told herself at least.

She expected Adrien to sweep her off her feet. To kiss her and make sparks fly. She remembered her talks of marriage with her Adrien...

And she remembered the betrayal. 

The night everything went wrong.

The night he died.

_She and Adrien were sitting on the balcony, talking about the future. They were going to grow old together._

_It was then that Marinette decided to reveal her biggest secret. She was Ladybug._

_"Adrien, I love you, and I don't want there to be any secrets between us. Tikki, spots on!"_

_Adrien was more shocked than she had expected. He closed and opened his mouth a few times. No words came out._

_"Speechless, huh?" Ladybug had smirked. "Bug got your tongue?"_

_Adrien sputtered. "The phrase is cat got your tongue but I need to think. I have to go-"_

_He sprinted away, climbing down her ladder with the peacefulness of a cat and running out the door at lighting speeds._

_She ran after him, getting in her car, and followed him all the way home. The gates to the mansion were locked, and no matter how many times she pressed the buttons, she wasn't let in._

_It wasn't a coincidence that an Akuma came charging at her only seconds later._

_It wasn't a coincidence that Chat Noir appeared and brought Marinette to safety, even though he was a villian. He didn't save people._

_Except her, apparently._

_She didn't realize the extent of his betrayal until after the fact._

_No wonder he had fought so desperately._

_He had known she was Ladybug, and told Hawkmoth._

_But he didn't want her to get hurt._

-Adrien waved his hand in front of her face. "Libby?"

She blinked. "Whoa, sorry."

"Are you doing okay?" 

Libby became very aware of how red Marinette's face was. Alya had put her face down on the desk.

Clearly Libby had messed up, she just didn't know how. Hopefully, she hadn't said too much out loud. If she revealed her identity, or his, or Hawkmoth's it could jeopardize the entire operation. 

She blinked. "Sorry, I was just thinking about... things. What did you say?"

"I said, before you go declaring your love for me, maybe we should go on a date first." Adrien repeated.

"Oh, really?" This was going perfectly. Libby smiled. "I'd love that."

"As friends," Adrien quickly responded. "I'd like to get to know you better, Libby."

She already knew everything about Adrien Alphonsus Agreste. "I'd like to get to know you better too."

"How does lunch sound?" Adrien smiled. "I can show you around Paris, and we can talk."

"Talk?"

"You said I reminded you of someone you lost. That can't be easy."

Libby frowned. "He was my best friend. I loved him, and he- he's gone."

"I know how hard it is to lose- somebody. My mom died a couple of years ago, and it's just nice to have someone to relate to, you know?"

"Yeah, I do know. That does sound nice." Libby's parents were still alive, but she'd probably never see them again. That hadn't hit her until just now.

She really had lost a lot.

She had lost the love if her life, but she also lost all the friends and family she had ever known. 

"Or, if you'd prefer something calmer, we can just go to the bakery, and get some croissants." Adrien's eyes lit up. "Oh! Have you ever played Ultimate Mecha Strike? Marinette has it and we can play it if we run out of things to talk about."

"Yeah."

"How does that sound?" Adrien gave her a sweet smile, but his hands were shaking. Was he nervous? This sweet boy was different from the suave Adrien Agreste that she knew. 

It was so cute that Libby almost laughed.

Almost. 

Marinette was probably going to murder her. She was repeatedly moving her fingers like a pair of scissors, a sign for Libby to cut it out. Libby chose to ignore it. 

Libby smiled back, confident in her choices. "It sounds great."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can tell that I am not a serious writer because I use sentences like "He was a single Pringle and Libby was more than ready to mingle"
> 
> Honorable typo mention goes to when I accidentally called Adrien a bog instead of a boy. Iconic. Why would I type the word bog. I don't talk about boys ever 10/10. 
> 
> (Also:additional author note: not even an hour after writing this, I went off in my zoom English class about the difference between a bog, a marsh, and a fen, because someone said that a fen was like a marsh and its not. Its closer to a bog and much like the people in my English class I'm sure you don't care)
> 
> Libby's foolproof plan to protect Adrien Agreste from an untimely demise.  
> Step one: acquire boyfriend.  
> :perhaps reveal identity as Ladybug??  
> :lots of kissing  
> Step two: protect said boyfriend from any possible dangers  
> :dangers including but not limited to himself, his dad, any akuma, lila, Alya, other Marinette, etc.  
> :included in the danger, Adrjen us not to be trusted with ovens  
> Step three: happily ever after with the love of her life.


	6. Chapter 6

Libby's casual hangout (Alya insisted to Marinette it was not a date) with Adrien in the bakery went quite nicely. She didn't even have to talk to Marinette's parents, who were busy with the lunch rush of customers.

(Other than the fact that Marinette and Alya not so subtly watched the entire thing from the other side of the bakery. That was awkward, and really, Marinette? Binoculars are not subtle)

Libby got along with Adrien quite well, from their shared love of video games to their knowledge of the chinese language. They really had a lot in common. Adrien, it seemed, was glad to have someone he could relate to so much, and Libby was able to relate with Adrien on everything.

She had spent enough time with her Adrien, that she knew almost exactly what Adrien wanted to hear.

And some of it was even the truth.

_Yeah, my favorite color is blue too, what a cool coincidence!_

_I love croissants!_

_Ladybug is pretty cool, but I'm sure Hawkmoth has a reason for what he's doing_

_I miss my mom too. She used to always support me. We always made cookies together and...._

There were a few small differences between this Adrien and Libby's Adrien, but she could work around those. For example, her Adrien loved eclairs, more than any other desert in the world. This Adrien loved croissants.

When her Adrien mentioned Ladybug, he spoke with an air of annoyance. He seemed to understand that Ladybug was protecting Paris, but blamed her for the destruction just as much as Hawkmoth. This Adrien spoke with awe and admiration. It was a nice change of pace. 

They both missed their mothers. Her Adrien had talked about his Mom a lot, in a wishful sort of way, like she was missing, not dead. He thought she might come back. It wasn't until after the betrayal that Libby realized her Adrien thought that he and Hawkmoth could bring Emilie back. This Adrien talked about his Mom in the past tense. He had no idea what his father was planning, and Libby was going to do her best to keep it that way. 

The biggest difference between the Adriens, that Libby could tell, at least, was that the Adrien from her universe worked with Hawkmoth, while this Adrien, for now, supported Ladybug. 

Other than that, he was exactly the same as her boyfriend. She knew exactly what he was like, and in no time she would be able to date him. And maybe, she let a little bit of her Ladybug side shine through. Libby was a little less upbeat than Marinette, and certainly more confident. Libby had none of the stutter and all of the charm.

It would be practically effortless for Libby to win over Adrien. He already was giving her the look™ that her Adrien reserved for her and eclairs. The look™ that meant he was in love. 

Unfortunately, (to Marinette's delight, and some not so silent cheering from Alya), the hangout was cut short when an akuma attacked. 

Adrien mysteriously had to run to the bathroom *cough* transform into chat noir *cough* and Marinette ran up to her room to, "grab something." 

Libby watched them run off with a little smile. She knew exactly what they were doing, and they were not subtle. It was a miracle that no one had figured out their identities. 

A few seconds after Marinette and Adrien ran out, Libby did too. She figured she might as well help them. A 3-vs-1 fight would surely be easier than a 2-vs-1. And Libby could protect Chat Noir. That was her main reason for being here after all. 

Libby quietly slipped outside, into the alley behind the bakery, and after checking her surroundings to make sure that no one was nearby, she transformed. 

LB used her yo-yo to propel herself towards the center if Paris, where every akuma seemed to attack.

The Eiffel Tower. 

When she arrived, she didn't see Ladybug, or an akuma. She saw Chat Noir.

LB flinched, ready for an attack, as Chat Noir stared at her.

"Ladybug- Your hair! Why did you cut off all your hair?"

"Rough breakup." She deadpanned. It was an attempt at a joke. It went right over his head. (And she thought Adrien was supposed to like puns). 

"I talked to you yesterday." Chat Noir was still bewildered by the hair. "Did you manage to do that overnight?"

"I mean, yeah it all happened in one night." She replied vaguely. She wasn't sure if he knew who she was yet or not. 

"I can't believe it's all gone-"

"Its not _all_ gone." She emphasized, but it didn't seem to affect him. He was close to tears.

"Your beautiful ponytails, chopped off. Gone forever."

"Hair grows back." She rolled her eyes. "If you liked ponytails so much, why don't you grow out your own hair?"

"That's not a bad idea."

"It night be. People often regret changing hairstyles."

"Did you?"

"What do you think?"

"Its a very bold hair choice." He frowned. "Why do I recognize it?"

Either he was unobservant or an idiot.

"Because only someone who's going through some serious mental trauma would let Alix bleach and dye their hair rainbow?"

Chat Noir shrugged.

LB put her hands on her hips. "What, Cat got your tongue?"

"Ladybug, actually...." His eyes narrowed, as if he was trying to solve a difficult math equation. He scanned her up and down, taking in the variables, computing the answer. "Libby?"

So he was a little more capable than Libby gave him credit for. Her Adrien never would've pieced together the puzzle. Honestly, if she hadn't seen his transform, she never would've believed that her boyfriend was Chat Noir. 

"So much for secret identities." She grumbled.

"So it is you then... what are you? A spy? An akuma? An amok?"

Libby knew what an akuma was, but the last question threw her off. "An amok?" What was an amok? That didn't even feel like a word.

"Well, at least you're honest. And self aware." Chat Noir pulled out his baton. "I should've known you were too good to be true." Without warning, he lunged, aiming his baton for the kneecaps.

She ducked, rolling away from the attacks. He swung again, and she dodged. It was just like old times.

Not that she wanted those old times back. She wanted the good times, not the Hawkmoth times.

"Whoa." LB jumped back, putting her hands in the air. "I'm not here to fight."

He kept swinging. "What did you do with Ladybug? Why do you have the miraculous."

"Its kind of a long story, I promise I'll explain after this fight." 

He crossed his arms. "Explain now." 

"Well, I-" 

What was she supposed to say? It was kind of an awkward time to have to explain that she was from an alternate dimension. And, unless this Adrien was advanced in quantum physics and molecular theory, she'd have to to deep into the science of the multiverse, which she had tried to explain to Marinette, only to be met by a blank look. 

Apparently multidimensional studies was only a theoretical science in this version of Paris.

Conveniently, the akuma chose that moment to explode the Louvre.

"-I'm from another dimension, and I'm here to help." LB finished, adding on a quick, "That wasn't me."

The fight continued below them. Various buildings exploded, shards of glass and metal and concrete flew everywhere. 

Chat Noir watched LB with an air of suspicion.

"How do I know you're not lying?"

"You'll have to trust me, okay?" LB pulled out her yo-yo. "I'll trust you if you trust me. Ladybug trusts me."

It was the last statement that really seemed to convince him.

He lowered his baton. "You're on thin ice, Libby." 

"Call me LB."

"LB." He tilted his head. "I'm guessing your name isn't actually Libby, is it?"

"You got that right." She booped him on the nose, which made him blush adorably. "C'mon, are we going to help Ladybug or what?"

"Ladybug?"

"Who did you think was fighting the akuma down there?" She looped her yo-yo on a nearby building, "let's go!"

Chat Noir staggered, a couple steps behind, but he managed to follow her, right into the action. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I accidentally posted this chapter early, so I also had to post chapter 5 I'm really trying to have a consistent update schedule but I just don't think it's going to happen


	7. Chapter 7

Ladybug was in the process of trying to use her yo-yo as a lasso, to round up the very rowdy Akuma, when LB and Chat Noir arrived. "I see you two have met." 

"We have." 

Ladybug glared at LB. "Be careful with her, she might break your heart"

She was definitely going to apologize for the Adrien thing.

Chat Noir quickly glanced between the two of them. "What?"

"Long story." LB responded.

"You two dated?"

Ladybug and LB looked up at each other and started laughing. "What? No. No, never!"

Chat shrugged. "I mean, I'd date either of you. Or both of you, if you're into that."

LB raised an eyebrow. He was more cocky as Chat Noir than Adrien. More cocky than her Adrien. He never would've suggested such a thing. "Really?"

"I mean-"

Ladybug sighed, loudly. "Can we please focus? On the Akuma?"

"What about LB?" Chat asked. "Is she a threat or not? I'm getting very mixed vibes."

"I'm here to help."

"I trust her." Ladybug took a breath. "She's here to help us."

LB crossed her arms. "That's what I said, when I first shower up, and he attacked me."

"I can't trust anyone." Chat Noir started counting on his fingers. "Remember Volpina? Copycat-"

"Okay, but you can trust me. I have a miraculous."

"To be fair," Ladybug pointed out, "I attacked you at first too."

Chat Noir looked between the two of them. "Can someone just explain what's going on? How can there be two Ladybugs?"

"Magic?" Ladybug offered. 

"Multidimensional hopping." LB shrugged. "I'd explain the science later, but-"

"Focus!"

"Right."

Ladybug threw her yo-yo into the air. "Lucky Charm!"

A dart fell from the sky.

LB repeated the action, producing a rope. 

They looked at eachother, and it just clicked.

"We tie the rope to the dart-"

"-and throw it at the akuma-"

"-releasing the butterfly-"

"-and saving him!"

Chat Noir scratched his head. "I didn't follow any of that."

"Don't worry, I'll tell you when." Ladybug replied.

When what?

LB had no idea what they were talking about. Maybe Chat Noir was going to be the one to throw the dart? She wasn't sure.

She usually didn't work in teams, so it was a nice change of pace. She was so in sync with Ladybug, that they were almost the same person. (Well, they were the same person).

As LB tried to figure out the timing of throwing the dart, Ladybug turned to Chat Noir. "Now!"

"Cataclysm!" His hand erupted with destructive energy.

So that's what they had been talking about.

LB reacted instinctively. 

In her experience, Cataclysm was a dangerous force, used for evil. She had to get the nearest object to touch Chat's hand, before he could destroy her, or himself. 

LB chucked the rope at Chat Noir, who caught it in his hand. Immediately, it crumbled to dust. "Huh?"

Ladybug glared at LB, raising her voice. "You messed up the plan! What was that?"

"Sorry." LB mumbled. "It was instinct. I didn't mean to mess up the plan."

"Well, now I have to rework the entire thing." Ladybug tied the dart to her yo-yo. "This better work, or else-"

"Whoa, calm down." Chat Noir stepped in between LB and Ladybug. "I think you need to give her some space."

"I can't-" LB sat down, placing her head between her knees.

"Calm? How do you expect me to be calm when she ruined our plan. What are we supposed to do?" Ladybug's voice kept going higher and higher. "I can't create a New plan. We all have less than five minutes."

"Deep breaths." Chat Noir inhaled. "In. And out."

"What are we supposed to do?"

"I don't know. In. And out." He repeated.

"How are you so calm right now?" Ladybug shrieked.

"Because," Chat Noir breathed, "someone has to be."

"I think now is the time to panic-"

"Yeah, well, between the two of you, you've got that covered." Chat Noir sighed. "You're freaking out, and LB is laying on a rooftop behind me, hyperventilating in fetal position."

Ladybug froze, looking behind him at LB. "She's having a panic attack."

"Yeah, I kinda guessed. What do we do?"

"I would- She probably wants someone to sit with her." Ladybug frowned. "And I kinda just snapped at her, so it should probably be you."

"Me?"

"I'll take down the akuma. Just comfort her or something."

"How do I do that?"

"Pet her hair? Sing?" Ladybug shrugged. "I'll be back as soon as I can." She threw the dart at the akuma and using her yo-yo, flung herself directly at the enemy.

It did not seem like the best plan of attack, but at the moment, it was their only.

Chat Noir awkwardly sat down next to LB and patted her on top of the head. "Shhhh, its okay. I'm right here."

"It's not okay." She whimpered. "You left me."

"I'm right here." He repeated.

"Don't leave."

"Its okay." Chat squeezed one of her hands. "I'm never going to leave you."


	8. Chapter 8

"Its okay." Chat squeezed one of her hands. "I'm never going to leave you."

It seemed to awake something in her. LB opened her eyes and stopped shaking. "Chat Noir?" She squinted. "Adrien?"

"I'm right here." He smiled. "Whatever just happened, was only a and dream."

"It wasn't just a bad dream." LB grimaced. "It was a bad _memory."_

"Want to talk about it?"

"Not really." LB sighed. 

"Fair." He held out a hand. "Want help sitting up?"

She grabbed his hands, and pulled herself into a sitting position. "I feel like I should tell you about it."

"You don't have to if you don't want to." Chat Noir scratched his head. "If it was that bad, I don't want to make you relive it."

"No, I need to say it." LB took a deep breath. "In my universe, we defeated Hawkmoth."

"Isn't that a good-"

"But you died in the final fight." 

Chat Noir's face paled. "I died?"

"Yes." LB closed her eyes. "I keep running the scenario through my head, countless times, asking what if? What if I had been faster? What if-"

"Asking yourself all those questions," Chat shook his head, "it couldn't have been good for you."

"It messed with my head." LB admitted. "But that's why I came to your universe. I'm from a place that Ladybug called the grey zone. Its a parallel universe."

"You're from the grey zone?" His eyes lit up. "So the portals do work both ways! I wondered. I've only been thrown there a few times but-"

"I came here to save you, Chat Noir." LB closed her eyes, "because I love you."

"No wonder you knew me so well." Adrien blinked. "Its like we were made to be together."

"Because we were." She kissed him on the lips.

He pulled back and looked her up and down. "How are you feeling?"

"Less shaky. I'm breathing now." LB shook her head. "You were able to help me center myself."

"I meant it. I'm never going to leave you."

"I'm going to save you."

"I trust you." He smiled. "It'll be you and me, forever."

"Always," she smiled back at him. 

"Can I ask how I died?"

LB shook her head. "I won't let it happen again."

"It was that bad?"

"Trust me. I know things that you don't know."

"I do trust you."

"And I'm here to set things right."

"I love you LB."

"I love you too."

When Ladybug came back, after defeating the akuma, LB and Chat Noir were passionately making out on the rooftop.

Ladybug had to physically pry LB off of Chat Noir. "I'm grounding you."

"You aren't my mom." LB rolled her eyes. "You can't control me."

"No, I can't," Ladybug put her hands on her hips, "but we have to have the talk, remember."

"The birds and the bees?" LB asked.

"No, eww." Ladybug closed her eyes. "I do not want to know about that. You and Chat... eww."

"Hey, I'm actually purretty handsome behind this mask. I'm sure you'd love me." Chat Noir smirked. 

"Sure." Ladybug shook her head. "You seem happy."

"I am."

"Good." Ladybug glared at LB. "You need to come with me and think about what you did. I hope you're happy with yourself."

Things were going better than Libby had imagined. She smiled a little bit. "Yeah, I am."

"Ugh." Ladybug groaned. "We have to figure out where you'll be sleeping."

"Oh, right, yeah." LB gave Chat Noir one final kiss, before standing up to follow Ladybug. "Bye bye, mon chaton."

"Bye LB." He blew her a kiss.

LB caught it and blew one back.

Together, LB and Ladybug swung towards the bakery.

Ladybug gagged. "You sicken me."

"I'm just here to keep him safe."

"Yeah, I'm sure you don't have any ulterior motives." Ladybug rolled her eyes.

"What is that supposed to mean?" 

"You know what it means."

Was Ladybug calling her a slut? The audacity. They were the same person. The same person. 

LB took a deep breath. "Look, for what it's worth, I'm sorry about Adrien."

"And I'm sorry about yelling at you. I didn't mean to set anything off."

"It wasn't you." LB shook her head. "I haven't fought any akuma since Chat died. The whole thing was overwhelming."

"I bet it was."

LB looked away. "I was a jerk this morning, with the whole Adrien sitch. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I hope you are." Ladybug winced. She hadn't meant for it to sound so hostile. "I know you haven't spent much time with me, but I love him-"

"I know. I saw the posters."

"You knew?" Ladybug's face fell. "How could you do that to me?"

"I wasn't thinking." LB responded honestly. "I did what I had to. In my universe, Adrien was my boyfriend. Hugging him just seemed like the right thing to do. And he's single, so it's not like you have any claim over him."

After their make-out session on the roof, he was decidedly not singles but Ladybug didn't know that, so LB kept it to herself. 

"Great." Ladybug frowned. "Now I have to compete with myself."

"Its not really a competition if I'm winning." LB smirked. 

They climbed into Marinette's room and detransformed. Together.

Marinette elbowed Libby, but there was no anger behind it. "How do I send you back?" 

Libby rolled her eyes, ignoring the teasing. She really didn't know how to get back. "Are we going to talk to your parents or not?"

"Right. Yeah." Marinette shook her head. "This is just an odd conversation. I don't know where to begin."

"Maybe tell them that you know you're adopted, and I'm your twin. We can figure it out from there."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Libby nodded. "I was kind of a jerk earlier, but I'm with you on this. Trust me. It'll be fine."


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed a couple things in earlier chapters, like Marinette and Libby talked to Damocles briefly about attending school, and Libby is telling people that he parents are remodeling the house, so they ask less questions.

Needless to say the conversation did not go as easily as Libby had hoped.

They had a whole plan in place. Once they addressed the adoption, Marinette would introduce Libby as her sister. Hopefully, they would all become one big happy family- or so Marinette decided.

Libby just needed a place to stay in this universe.

If Marinette's house didn't work out, she knew Adrien would he more than happy to help her out. Maybe she could even use her Ladybug identity to get a free room at Chloe's hotel. Maybe. 

Those were all hypothetical second options. 

Marinette and Libby waited until the bakery was closed for the night, before heading downstairs. 

Sabine was busy setting the table for dinner, as Tom was preparing macarons. 

Marinette cleared her throat. "Mom, Dad, I think we need to talk."

"What's wrong sweetie?"

"Who's your friend?"

Libby stepped out from behind Marinette, and gave an awkward wave. "Hi, I'm Libby.".

"Can we all sit down?" Marinette sat in her usual place at the table, Libby Sat next to her. "Recently, it has come to my attention, that I didn't know everything about myself."

Tom's eyes widened. 

Sabine tilted her head. "Is Libby your... girlfriend?"

Libby burst out laughing.

Marinette's entire face was red. "Eww mom. No. Thats- ugh." She shook her head. "I mean, you guys haven't told me everything about my heritage."

"If this is about your grandfather, I stopped talking to him years ago, Marinette. That has nothing to do with you, its my fault." Tom looked down.

Sabine placed an arm on Tom's shoulder. "Its not your fault. He wasn't willing to accept change."

"Also, not what I meant." Marinette blinked. "Mom, Dad, I want you to know that I love you guys."

"Oh no, you're pregnant-"

"Was it Adrien?"

"No." Marinette took a deep breath. "I'm not pregnant. I've barely kissed a guy, let alone-"

"Whats wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." Marinette blinked back tears. "Just let me talk. I recently found out that my whole life is a lie. I mean, you guys are my parents, but you aren't my parents."

Tom looked at Sabine, who facepalmed. "Are you sure, Marinette?"

Sabine sighed. "We have hospital photographs and your birth certificate that say otherwise."

"I'm sure."

"Sweetie, that doesn't make any sense."

Marinette sniffed. "Mom, you don't have to lie to me."

"We weren't lying to you."

Libby felt like it was her turn to join the conversation. "Hi again. What Marinette is trying to say is, she knows she's adopted. I'm her sister."

Tom and Sabine looked at eachother, then at Marinette, then at Libby.

Tom frowned. "Are you sure you didn't have two-"

"I'd think I would know if I had twins." Sabine took a breath. "The x-rays only ever showed one girl. Marinette."

"So then who is the other one?"

"I don't know?"

Marinette gave Libby a panicked glance. This was not how it was supposed to go.

Libby shrugged. In her universe, she was adopted. It wasn't her fault that Marinette wasn't.

Finally, Sabine spoke. "Marinette, you've always looked identical to how I did when I was your age. I never once thought that you weren't my child."

Marinette teared up. "Are you disowning me?"

Libby had messed up. Libby messed up big time.

"Of course not." Sabine smiled, but it was more like a grimace. "I think we will all have to do some dna testing. I love you Marinette, you're my daughter, but-"

"I might not be?"

"Well-"

Libby was an idiot. 

There was no way to salvage this wreck. If they all got dna tests, and Marinette turned out to be Sabine and Tom's child, that would create more questions about where Libby came from. 

One way or another, the truth was going to come out.

Libby cleared her throat. "I'm actually Marinette."

"What did you do to you hair?"

"Not important."

"If you're Marinette," Tom looked across the table, "then who is she?"

"Also Marinette." Libby explained. "We are both Marinette."

"I'm not following."

Libby decided to start off simple. "What do you know about alternate universes?"

"Nothing."

"I watched Spiderman into the spider-verse?"

Libby didn't know what that was, but if it was anything like Spidergirl: It's Spider-Time, then it would make everything easier to explain. "A movie about alternate universes?"

"Yeah. In it, Miles Morales is Spiderman and-"

Geez. Marinette's dad was a nerd. Luckily, it made Libby's job easier. "Well, in my universe, I'm Ladybug."

Marinette hissed. "I thought we weren't going to talk about that?"

"Its too late now."

"Does that mean that Marinette is Ladybug?"

Marinette gave a thumbs up. "Surprise."

Libby shook her head. "My name is- was? Marinette Dupain-Cheng. My universe was very similar to yours, except I was adopted."

"So why are you here? Doesn't your universe need you?"

Tom started smiling. "Are there more Ladybugs? How many? Are you guys going to join forces and take down Hawkmoth?"

"Its just me and the Ladybug you guys are familiar with. And yes, I've come here to take down Hawkmoth. In my universe, I defeated him-"

"You defeated him? Alone?"

"Yes." Now Libby was close to tears. "In the process, I lost Chat Noir. My boyfriend."

Before she knew what was happening, there was a big family hug. 

Libby didn't usually like hugs, but it was nice. Marinette's whole family was nice.

"I'm sorry for intruding, I just needed a place to stay, and being Marinette's sister was the easiest explanation-"

"You're welcome to stay as long as you need." Tom smiled.

"And we can tell people whatever you want to tell them."

"What about school?" Marinette asked. "You have to present papers to get her enrolled."

"We can figure something out-"

"Don't worry about it." Sabine frowned. "I know a guy-"

Marinette's mom was wayy cooler than Libby's mom. Apparently. 

They had taken the whole Ladybug and Alternate universe thing surprisingly well. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments? Kudos? Suggestions? Theories on the difference between Marinette and Libby's hair?


End file.
